This paper provides information about the beginnings of literacy in young children and the skills they need for reading readiness. The paper also describes what is meant by a "quality early literacy instruction" and reading skill development in early childhood settings. It outlines early reading behaviors, including phonemic awareness, concept of books, knowledge of print, awareness of letter/sound correlation and punctuation, and oral reading. It discusses fluency and high frequency words and provides the Dolch Word List of the 100 most frequent words in the English language. The paper next addresses reading comprehension and vocabulary instruction and then discusses music and children, music and the brain (as an important part of multiple intelligences theory), and "The Mozart Effect," contending that the Mozart Effect consciously implemented can have an effect on a child's life. It delineates the teaching strategy of reading using picture books of songs and offers a Read-Me-a-Song Lesson Plan Form and a sample lesson form illustrating interdisciplinary activities and lesson extensions. Lists 79 Songs as Story Books and 8 Songs as Story Books cassette tapes. Also lists 30 relevant Web sites and 14 references. (NKA)